Norway lifts defence export restrictions on Turkiye, half a decade after imposing them

Norway has lifted defence export restrictions on Turkiye, five years after imposing the measures in response to the Turkish military’s operation in northern Syria.

Following a call between Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, and his Norwegian counterpart, Espen Barth Eide, on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Oncu Keceli, announced that “Norway has decided to lift the defence industry restrictions imposed on Turkey in 2019”.

Keceli also noted that during the call, “Fidan expressed pleasure with the decision, adding that such restrictions are not in line with the spirit of alliance.”

Norway’s own Foreign Ministry confirmed the move in a statement, saying it “meanvs that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs lifts the restrictions from 2019 and returns to an ordinary licensing practice for Turkey”.

Oslo initially imposed the restrictions on defence sales to Ankara in 2019, joining other European and Western nations in the suspension over concerns regarding Turkiye’s military offensive against Kurdish militias in northern and north-east Syria.

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